UNIVERSITY   OF  CALIFORNIA         AGRICULTURAL  EXPERIMENT  STATION 
COLLEGE    OF    AGRICULTURE  E-  J-  wickson.    d. rector 

BERKELEY 

CIRCULAR  No.  6^^fnTr^^ 

June,  1911       [f 


HOW  TO  MAKE  AN  OBSERVi 


By  LESLIE  J.  NICKELS. 


» *' "  ^V 


W 


For  nature-study  the  honey-bee  offers  exceptional  advantages.  In 
its  anatomy  one  can  find  numerous  structures  especially  fitted  to  its 
peculiar  habits.  The  colony-life  of  honey-bees  is  an  example  of  per- 
fected cooperation  including  many  things  which  might  well  be  applied 
to  improve  our  own  scheme  of  life.  The  purpose  of  this  circular  is 
to  aid  the  student  to  a  better  understanding  of  these  things  by  bring- 
ing the  bee  colony  into  the  school  room  where  he  may  be  enabled  to 
discover  the  manner  of  life  of  honey-bees  for  himself.  (Some  manual 
training  teachers  desire  to  correlate  the  work  of  their  pupils  with 
gardening  and  nature-study  in  elementary  schools  or  with  general 
science  and  agriculture  in  high  schools.  It  is  hoped  that  the  drawings 
and  specifications  reproduced  in  this  publication  will  be  of  service  in 
this  connection. — E.  B.  B.) 

Before  attempting  to  carry  out  the  plans  given  below  it  is  very 
desirable  to  read  some  standard  book  on  bee  keeping.  A  list  of  such 
books  is  found  at  the  end  of  this  circular. 


An  observation  bee  hive  is  constructed  of  wood  and  glass,  so 
arranged  that  one  may  easily  see  the  insects  housed  therein.  Many 
different  styles  have  been  devised,  and  whether  crude  or  elaborate, 
all  are  successful,  providing  they  fulfill  the  conditions  which  the  bees 
demand  in  the  construction  and  maintenance  of  their  colony. 

It  has  seemed  very  desirable  to  keep  the  bees,  as  nearly  as  possible, 
under  natural  conditions,  that  is,  similar  to  the  condition  of  a  hive 
in  the  apiary.  This  necessitates  a  few  simple  manipulations  of  the 
bees ;  these,  however,  are  operations  which  every  beginner  in  apiculture 
should  become  acquainted  with.  In  design  the  apparatus  described 
below  is  simple  enough  so  that  one  little  skilled  in  the  use  of  tools  may 
readily  construct  it. 

To  best  meet  these  conditions  the  observation  hive  here  described 
is  built  upon  an  ordinary  Langstroth  hive  cover  and  is  used  in  con- 
nection with  a  common  frame  body.  This  allows  two  plans  to  be  fol- 
lowed :  one  may  buy  the  hive  complete  (price  about  $2.00)  and  modify 
the  cover  or  construct  the  apparatus  entire  from  the  plans  herein 
presented,  which  give  all  the  necessary  dimensions.  The  second  sug- 
gestion can  be  followed  in  any  school  where  there  is  a  manual  training- 
department. 

The  observation  portion  of  the  hive  in  which  the  queen  is  kept  is 
separated  from  the  brood  chamber  or  lower  story  under  the  cover  in 
figure  3.  This  has  a  three-fold  purpose.  First,  to  limit  the  opera- 
tions of  the  queen ;  second,  to  allow  of  having  a  large  number  of  bees 
at  hand  to  keep  the  frame  well  stocked;  third,  and  most  important, 
besides  letting  the  bees  pass  in  and  out  freely,  the  temperature  of  the 
observation  section  is  raised  by  the  mass  of  bees  underneath.  This 
is  a  point  neglected  in  most  glass  hives.  The  large  surface  offered  for 
radiation  and  the  smallness  of  the  colony  tend  to  cause  an  abnormal 
death  rate,  and  a  lessened  intensity  of  the  activities  within. 

The  best  general  idea  of  the  hive  can  be  obtained  from  the  cut 
upon  the  first  page  and  figure  4,  which  suggests  a  method  of  installa- 
tion for  the  classroom  or  any  indoor  situation. 

Figures  1  and  2  show  a  standard  bee  hive  in  general  use  by  bee 
keepers  throughout  the  United  States.  Different  manufacturers 
produce  the  Langstroth  hive  with  modifications  in  the  cover  and 
bottom  board,  but  the  inside  dimensions  are  constant  and  all  parts  are 
absolutely  interchangeable.  A  hive  proper  consists  of  a  body  of  brood 
section  measuring  on  the  inside  18*4  inches  long,  14*4  inches  wide 
and  %  inches  in  depth;  this  contains  10  frames  17  inches  long,  8 
inches  deep  and  %  inches  wide  to  support  the  comb.    These  are  spaced 


half  an  inch  apart  and  are  adjusted  by  the  fingers.  Self  spacing 
frames  are  sometimes  used  but  cannot  be  so  readily  handled.  For 
the  storage  of  honey  a  supplementary  body  of  snper  may  be  added. 
In  the  two  plates  a  honey  section  snper  is  shown.  If  extracted  honey 
is  desired  a  section  like  the  brood  chamber  replaces  this.  These  are 
removed  or  extracted  as  soon  as  filled  by  the  bees.  A  bottom  board 
furnishes  the  floor,  body,  snper  and  cover.  They  may  be  hooked  if 
necessary.  In  both  plates  the  interior  is  shown  npon  the  left,  the 
crooked  lines  represent  breaks  in  the  exterior  surface,  which  is  repre- 
sented on  the  right. 


Fig.    1 


Sugar  pine  is  the  most  satisfactory  material  to  use  for  the  various 
parts.  If  it  is  intended  to  have  the  hive  set  upon  the  ground,  bottom 
board  and  cover  had  best  be  made  of  redwood.  All  outside  surfaces 
should  be  painted.  All  parts  except  the  cover  are  nailed ;  eight  penny 
nails  are  best  for  the  heavy  parts;  light  shingle  nails  (3d  fine)  for  the 
frames.    For  portions  of  the  honey  super  and  most  of  the  observation 


section  one  should  use  %  inch  brads.    In  all  the  work  the  parts  should 
be  planed  smooth. 

THE  BOTTOM  BOARD. 

The  bottom  board  consists  of  six  pieces  of  wood.  The  floor  boards 
are  20%  in.  x  %  in.,  one  8  in.  wide,  the  other  8%  in-  wide.  A  tongue 
and  groove  must  be  cut  on  the  inner  edges,  making  the  boards  the 
same  width  on  the  surface. 

The  cleats  are  four  in  number,  two  end  cleats  and  two  side  cleats. 
For  the  side  cleats  strips  of  wood  19%  in.  x  %  in.  x  %  in.  are  suffi- 
cient. The  ends  are  a  little  more  elaborate,  the  back  cleat  is  16-in.  x 
2  in.  x  %  in.  with  a  slot  %  in.  x  14  in.  cut  %  in.  from  one  edge.  The 
front  cross  piece  is  smaller  to  allow  for  an  entrance,  it  is  16  in.  x  1% 
in.  x  %  in.  with  a  7/8  in.  rabbit  cut  in  one  edge.  The  bottom  board  is 
made  2  in.  longer  than  the  hive,  producing  an  alighting  place  at  the 
entrance.  Six  nails  are  sufficient  for  each  end.  Five  shingle  nails 
may  be  used  for  each  of  the  side  cleats.  This  portion  is  often  left  un- 
painted,  but  a  good  coat  of  paint  will  add  years  of  life,  greatly  improve 
the  appearance,  and  materially  aid  in  cleaning  this  portion  of  the 
hive. 

THE  BROOD  SECTION. 

The  brood  section  is  made  of  four  pieces  of  wood  and  two  pieces  of 
metal  called  T  tins.  The  latter  are  necessary  to  prevent  the  base  from 
sticking  the  frames  to  the  body  with  propolis  or  bee  glue.  The  end 
pieces  are  16  in.  x  9%  in.  x  y8  in.  Rabbits  %  in.  x  %  in.  are  cut  in 
one  corner  of  the  16  in.  width ;  make  hand  holes  4%  in.  x  %  in.  x  %  in. 
upon  the  opposite  side  1%  in-  from  the  rabbit  end.  On  either  end 
%  in.  x  %  in.  dove  tails  are  cut.  To  support  the  frames  in  the  rabbit 
a  piece  of  tin  14  in.  x  iy2  in.  is  used.  This  is  bent  as  shown  in  the 
drawing,  i.e.,  a  %  in-  portion  is  turned  up  at  right  angles  and  then 
the  strip  is  double  dupon  itself. 

The  sides  are  plain  boards  20  in.  x  9%  in.  x  %  in.  with  dove  tail- 
ing on  both  ends.  Care  should  be  used  in  marking  out  the  dove-tails, 
these  are  %  in.  x  %  in. ;  the  bottom  corner  is  cut  out  and  the  top  only 
i/o  in.  deep.  Alternate  tails  should  be  nailed  beginning -^t  the  upper 
corner  of  each  end  piece.    Paint  the  outside  only. 

THE  FRAMES. 

The  frames  are  built  up  from  five  strips  of  sugar  pine  and  are  ten 
in  number.  An  extra  one  is  also  made  for  the  observation  section. 
The  parts  of  the  frame  are  called  bars,  i.e.,  top  bar,  bottom  bar  and 


end  bars.  The  bottom  bar  is  17  in.  x  %  in.  scant  x  %  in.  and  the  end 
bars, — two  to  each  frame — are  8%  in.  x  %  in.  scant  x  %  in.  The  top 
bar  is  18%  in.  long  x%  in.  wide  and  %  in.  deep.  The  ends  are  cut 
away,  leaving  projections  1  in.  x  y4  in.  to  support  the  frame  upon  the 
T  tins,  which  in  turn  are  nailed  to  the  body.  On  the  lower  side  a 
%6  in.  x  !/4  in.  rabbit  is  cut  and  the  projecting  outside  edge  is  beveled 
down  ys  in.  To  fit  in  the  rabbit,  a  narrow  strip  is  cut  %6  in.  x  ^4  in- 
and  the  flat  side  beveled  to  leave  y1Q  in.  on  the  narrow  edge  and  %6  in. 
on  the  flat  side.  This  corresponds  with  the  beveling  on  the  top  bar. 
The  use  of  this  strip  will  be  explained  a  little  later. 

When  fastening  the  frame  parts,  two  nails  should  run  through  the 
top  bar  into  the  end  bars  and  one  from  the  end  bar  into  the  top  bar. 
Two  nails  through  each  end  bar  will  support  the  bottom.  In  the  end 
bars  one  should  drill  three  holes,  y1Q  in.  in  diameter,  spaced  as  shown 
in  figure  1.  Through  these  No.  30  wire  should  be  run,  threading 
through  from  the  right  hand  top  hole  back  and  forth  to  the  lower 
left  hand  bottom  hole.  The  wire  must  be  fastened  with  a  small  tack 
at  each  end. 

Upon  the  wires  and  in  the  rabbit  of  the  top  bar  is  fastened  a  sheet 
of  comb  foundation.  This  is  a  sheet  of  wax  with  the  imprint  of  the 
cell  bases  pressed  upon  it,  greatly  aiding  the  bees  in  starting  their 
cells  and  constructing  them  in  even  rows.  To  fasten  in  the  founda- 
tion, it  should  be  slipped  under  one  wire  and  over  another,  pressed 
firmly  in  the  rabbit  of  the  top  bar  and  the  small  strip  nailed  securely 
upon  it.  Five  small  flat  headed  brads  should  be  used  for  this.  When 
the  foundation  is  fastened  at  the  top  a  spur-imbedder  should  be  run 
over  the  wires  to  impress  them  into  the  foundation  to  keep  it  from 
sagging. 

Eleven  of  these  frames  should  be  prepared,  ultimately  to  take  the 
arrangement  pictured  in  figure  2. 

THE  SUPER. 

The  super  is  intended  as  a  storage  place  for  surplus  honey.  Figure 
1  shows  its  somewhat  complicated  structure.  Trays  of  sections  are 
separated  by  a  'fence,'  each  alternating,  a  'fence'  on  either  extreme. 
Figure  2  shows  this.  In  figure  1  a  section  of  comb  is  shown  in  the 
super;  on  either  side  are  two  sets  of  broken  lines.  These  represent 
breaks  in  the  fence  to  show  the  honey  sections  which  in  this  side  view 
of  the  hive  would  be  covered  by  them. 

Before  constructing  the  super,  it  would  be  best  to  make  a  working 


drawing  of  each  part,  viz.,  the  super,  moveable  end  boards,  section 
trays,  fence,  honey  sections  and  tin  supports. 

The  super  proper  is  a  half-depth  hive  body.     It  is  composed  of 


-i^**v 


Fig. 


four  pieces  of  wood  and  two  strips  of  tin.  In  construction  it  is  a 
duplicate  of  the  bottom  section  except  that  the  depth  or  width  of  the 
boards  are  5%  in.,  necessitating  a  narrow  dovetail  at  the  bottom.  To 
support  the  section  trays  and  fences,  angles  of  tin  are  used.  A  strip 
14  in.  long  and  V/2  in.  wide  bent  at  right  angles  giving  %  in.  to  each 


face  is  sufficient.  These  are  nailed  upon  the  inside  of  the  super  at 
the  bottom.  Upon  completion  the  outside  of  this  part  should  be  given 
a  coat  of  paint. 

The  end  boards  are  two  in  number,  1414  in.  x  4%  in.  x  y2  in.  and 
finished  smooth.  These  are  removeable  and  serve  to  fill  up  the  space 
left  by  the  short  honey  section  trays.  For  larger  sections,  a  little 
longer  tray  would  be  used,  making  the  end  board  unnecessary. 

The  honey  section  trays  take  the  form  of  a  very  wide  U  and  are 
made  up  of  three  pieces  of  wood,  i.e.,  two  end  bars  and  one  bottom 
bar.  The  end  bars  are  5  in.  x  1%  in.  x  V2  in.  scant  and  the  bottom  bar 
17  in.  x  1%  in.  x  %  in.  They  set  upon  the  bottom  bar  and  are  nailed 
fast  through  it,  using  three  nails  (3d  fine). 

The  'fence'  is  a  small  slatted  partition  to  separate  one  tray  from 
another  and  to  allow  the  bees  to  enter  the  honey  sections  and  deposit 
their  stores.  Both  the  partitions  and  the  sections  are  made  from  bass 
wood.  These  can  be  purchased  for  a  few  cents  from  any  bee  supply 
dealer  and  it  is  best  to  attempt  to  make  them.  If  one  desires  to  make 
the  fences,  either  bass  or  some  close  grained  soft  wood,  such  as  maple, 
should  be  selected ;  twelve  pieces  of  wood  are  necessary.  Two  grooved 
uprights  for  ends  hold  four  horizontal  parallel  slats  which  in  turn 
have  a  narrow  upright,  on  either  side,  opposite  the  perpendicular 
parts  of  the  honey  sections,  making  six  of  these  for  each  frame  or 
three  to  a  side.  The  end  pieces  are  5%  in.  x  %  in.  with  a  %6  in.  x  %6 
in.  slot  cut  in  the  middle  of  one  %  in.  face.  In  all,  one  will  need  18 
of  these  end  pieces.  Each  slat  of  the  fence  is  I614  in.  x  1  in.  x  %6  in. 
apart  and  an  equal  distance  from  the  ends  of  the  end  grooved  sup- 
ports. .Thirty-six  slats  furnish  enough  material  for  the  nine  fences. 
The  little  uprights  which  are  nailed  to  the  slats  are  4^  in.  x  14  in.  x 
%2  in.  Fifty-four  of  these  small  pieces  are  required.  Use  *4  m-  small 
flat-headed  brads  to  nail  fence  together.  Bee  keepers  know  this  style 
of  fence  as  the  M-fence.  Where  this  style  of  fence  is  used  the  honey 
sections  are  plain,  that  is,  they  have  no  bee  way.  Their  dimensions 
are  4  in.  x  5  in.  x  1%  in.  When  ordering  sections  from  the  dealers 
specify  "no  bee  way"  and  give  dimensions.  It  is  not  wise  to  attempt 
to  make  the  sections.  Sections  come  flat.  Wet  them  before  bending 
into  shape  to  prevent  breaking  at  the  corners. 

As  set  up  the  observation  hive  would  not  use  the  super  in  con- 
nection with  it  unless  the  bees  become  very  short  of  storage  room. 
The  constant  disturbance  of  the  bees  make  the  production  of  a  surplus 
of  honey  very  doubtful;  in  an}^  case  it  should  be  saved  to  feed  the 
colony  during  the  winter. 


THE  COVER, 

The  roof  for  the  hive  shown  is  a  ventilated  gable  cover.  In  prac- 
tical apiary  work  this  style  is  not  as  much  used  as  the  plain  cover 
due  to  the  fact  that  ants,  spiders  and  often  wax  moths  collect  in  the 
open  portion.  The  upper  part  of  the  cover  is  the  same,  whether  we 
wish  a  ventilated  or  unventilated  cover.  The  difference  is  brought 
about  by  making  the  end  cleats  2  in.  wide  instead  of  3  in.  The  change 
is  indicated  by  the  dotted  line  in  figure  1.  This  allows  the  top  part 
of  the  cover  to  rest  upon  the  hive,  dispensing  with  the  air  space 
feature. 

From  the  drawing  one  can  gain  a  sufficient  idea  of  the  ventilated 
type  of  top  for  this  hive. 

The  usual  kind  of  gable  cover  is  composed  of  six  parts  of  wood, 
viz.,  two  end  cleats,  two  beveled  boards  to  make  the  slope  of  the  roof, 
a  top  cleat,  and  a  lower  bar  to  support  it. 

The  top  cleat  and  support  need  not  be  made  if  one  is  constructing 
an  observation  hive. 

For  the  end  cleats  of  the  cover  two  parts  of  wood  are  needed,  16!/2 
in.  x  2  in.  x  %  in.  in  dimension ;  a  %  in.  slot  is  cut  %  in.  from  one 
edge  to  hold  the  two  main  boards  of  the  roof.  These  are  20%  in.  x 
iy2  in.  x  %  in.  A  rabbit  V2  in.  x  %6  in.  should  be  cut  on  each  end, 
leaving  a  %  in.  x  %6  in.  projection  to  fit  into  the  end  cleats.  Make 
two  of  these  parts.  When  the  rabbit  is  cut  bevel  the  boards  leaving 
them  %  in.  on  one  edge  and  %  in.  upon  the  other.  Cut  a  groove  % 
in.  in  width,  V1Q  in.  from  the  lower,  outer  edge.  This  prevents  rain 
water  running  into  the  hive. 

The  top  cleat  is  20  in.  x  3y2  in.  x  7/s  in.  rabbitted  on  both  sides  to 
shed  water  and  hollowed  out  slightly  underneath  to  fit  over  the  slope 
of  the  cover.  The  lower  bar  is  20%  in.  x  1%  in.  x  %  in.  rabbitted  to 
fit  the  end  cleats.  Nine  nails  will  hold  the  ends ;  two  for  the  top  bar, 
three  for  either  side  and  one  in  the  middle.  Six  small  nails  should 
fasten  down  the  center  top  board  to  the  side  slopes.  Paint  only  the 
upper  side  of  the  cover. 

If  a  hive  is  kept  in  a  class  room,  the  observation  cover  should  be 
removed  at  vacation  time  and  a  simple  one,  described  above,  substi- 
tuted. 

THE  OBSERVATION  COVER. 

Omitting  details,  the  observation  device  consists  of  two  uprights 
screwed  to  the  cover  and  cleats.  These  are  grooved  to  hold  two  glass 
plates.     Over  this  is  placed  a  cover  upon  which  is  fastened  a  feeder. 


This  has  glass  sides  and  is  so  arranged  that  the  student  can  see  the 
bees  feed. 

As  mentioned  above,  when  making  only  an  observation  cover,  a 
top  cleat  and  under  bar  are  not  necessary.  The  first  step  is  to  discard 
these,  leaving  a  narrow  1%  in.  slit  in  the  cover. 

A  14  in.  x  y8  in.  rabbit  is  now  cut  in  the  upper,  inner  edge  of  the 
slope  board.  These  are  for  the  two  large  plates  of  glass  to  fit  in.  Next 
cut  the  side  supports  for  the  glass.  These  are  10  in.  x  2%  in.  x  1  in. 
They  have  a  %  in.  x  %  in.  notch  cut  out  of  the  two  lower  sides  to  fit 
in  between  the  slope  boards.  Now,  on  the  inner  sides  cut  %  in-  x  Vs  in- 
slots  i/i  in.  from  the  edge  to  hold  the  glass.  The  last  operation  is  to 
cut  a  pocket  1%  in.  wide  x  %  in.  deep  and  recessed  V2  in.  This  is  cut 
y2  in.  from  either  inner  edge.  A  iy2  in.  length  of  T  tin  is  placed  in 
this  to  support  the  frame.  To  tie  the  perpendicular  ends  together  a 
20  in.  x  y8  in.  x  14  in.  strip  is  run  from  one  upright  to  the  other.  Two 
are  used  and  are  to  be  nailed  carefully.  Two  plates  of  16  oz.  glass 
18y±  in.  x  9y2  in.  fit  into  the  grooves  just  completed. 

One  cannot  set  up  this  portion  of  the  cover.  Use  \y2  in.  screws 
instead  of  nails,  three  to  each  end  of  the  slope  boards,  countersinking 
the  heads  slightly.  To  fasten  the  uprights  drive  three  screws.  Ar- 
range them  triangularly,  two  nearest  the  top  and  spaced  about  1%  in. 
apart.  At  about  this  point  it  is  best  to  tack  the  queen-excluding  zinc 
upon  the  under  side  of  the  cover  directly  under  the  opening.  This 
must  be  purchased  from  a  bee  supply  house.  It  should  be  at  least 
2y2  in.  wide  and  19y2  in.  long.  Slip  in  the  glass,  do  not  putty  or 
fasten  it.    This  completes  the  most  important  part  of  the  modifications. 

To  make  the  cover  one  should  first  cut  a  piece  of  wood  20  in.  x  3% 
in.  x  y2  in.  In  the  center  of  this  iy2  in.  from  the  ends  and  1%  in. 
from  the  sides  cut  a  5  in.  x  %  in.  slot.  This  allows  the  bees  to  come 
up  into  the  feeder.  Directly  opposite  this  slot  cut  a  rabbit  on  each 
side  to  hold  the  glass  of  the  feeder.  These  are  5%  in-  x  %  in-  x  %  in- 
Around  the  edge  of  the  main  cover  nail  1  in.  x  14  in.  strips  of  wood. 
Make  the  long  ones  20%  in.  and  the  short  ones  3%  in- 

•  The  feeder  is  composed  of  four  pieces  of  wood,  2  plates  of  16  oz. 
glass,  514  in.  x  4*4  in.  and  a  cover.  To  make  the  passage  for  the  bees 
to  enter  the  feeder  nail  5  in.  x  Sy^  in.  x  14  in-  boards  on  each  side  of 
the  slot.  For  the  ends  use  parts  4  in.  x  3%  in.  x  y2  in.  Near  the  4  in. 
edge  (y8  in.  distant)  cut  an  y8  in.  x  i/8  in.  groove  to  hold  the  glass 
sides.  Nail  the  end  pieces  to  the  ends  of  the  bee  passage  and  to  the 
top  of  the  large  cover.  Now  slide  in  the  glass.  To  prevent  leakage 
in  the  feeder  a  little  melted  wax  or  paraffine  can  be  poured  into  both 


10 


Fig.    3 


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Fig.   4 


11 

pockets  and  the  cover  tipped  about  to  allow  the  hot  liquid  to  fill  the 
cracks.  There  will  be  absolutely  no  leakage  if  one  gives  this  operation 
a  little  care. 

The  cover  for  the  feeder  is  6  in.  x  3%  in.  with  %  in.  x  %  in.  strips 
upon  its  edge.  This  necessitates  cutting  a  14  in.  x  %  in.  notch  in  the 
four  upper  corners  of  the  ends  of  the  feeder.  The  side  strips  for  the 
feeder  cover  are  6V2  in-  x  3A  in-  x  lA  in->  the  ends  are  3^8  in.  x  %  in.  x 
%  in.  Use  light  nails  for  these.  Sandpaper  the  entire  apparatus  when 
it  is  finished. 

If  the  carpenter  has  completed  a  neat  piece  of  work,  instead  of 
painting  the  hive  and  observation  cover  the  work  can  be  varnished. 
This  will  give  the  hive  a  much  better  appearance  when  it  is  used 
entirely  indoors.  If  it  is  used  outside,  paint,  preferably  white,  will 
make  the  best  sort  of  protection. 

INSTALLING  THE  HIVE. 

Figure  4  shows  a  method  of  setting  up  the  hive.  Set  it  upon  a 
box  or  table  in  front  of  a  window.  An  entrance  through  this  can  be 
made  by  fitting  a  piece  of  wood  into  the  window  casing  and  cutting  a 
15  in.  x  y2  in.  slot  as  indicated  in  the  drawing.  For  a  passage  to  the 
window  lay  %  in.  x  %  in.  strips  from  the  hive  to  it  and  lay  on  these 
a  piece  of  glass  16  in.  wide  and  as  long  as  the  distance  between  the 
hive  entrance  and  the  slit  board.  This  is  a  simple  arrangement,  allow- 
ing one  to  see  the  bees  entering  and  leaving  their  colony. 

CARE  OF  THE  BEES. 

Lack  of  space  does  not  permit  a  general  discussion  of  the  handling 
of  bees.  A  very  good  idea  of  the  subject  can  be  obtained  by  consulting 
the  works  suggested  in  the  bibliography. 

Before  attempting  to  handle  bees,  one  must  have  a  smoker  (price 
about  $1).  It  is  also  a  good  plan  for  a  beginner  to  have  a  bee  veil 
and  canvas  gloves. 

A  colony  of  bees  can  be  purchased  for  a  nominal  sum  in  practically 
every  community  in  California. 

When  the  bees  are  installed  in  their  new  home,  select  a  frame  with 
a  little  brood  in  it,  place  the  queen  upon  the  frame  and  set  it  in  the 
observation  section.  Never  smoke  the  bees  any  more  than  is  sufficient 
to  pacify  them.  Always  darken  all  the  windows  save  the  one  opposite 
the  hive  when  carrying  on  manipulation  indoors. 

When  the  queen  has  filled  the  brood  frame  with  eggs,  put  it  in  the 
center  of  the  body  of  the  hive  and  transfer  the  queen  to  a  new  frame 


12 

which  is  to  take  the  place  of  the  preceding  one  in  the  observation 
section.  Change  the  frame  every  week,  although  it  may  not  be  filled 
with  eggs.  For  the  first  few  days  the  bees  may  not  fill  the  observation 
section.  Soon,  however,  they  will  recognize  that  the  queen  is  con- 
fined; brood  rearing  will  start,  and  all  the  labors  of  an  active  colony 
will  be  carried  on  before  one's  eyes. 

Bees  hibernate  in  the  winter  time.  If  you  do  not  care  to  feed  them 
place  the  queen  in  the  body  of  the  hive  during  this  season. 

For  feeding  syrup,  use  a  mixture  of  half  honey  and  half  water  or 
two  parts  sugar  to  one  of  water.  Pour  this  into  both  sides  of  the 
feeder.  It  is  very  important  to  keep  a  small,  thin  float  about  the  size 
of  each  pocket  upon  the  syrup,  so  that  the  bees  will  not  fall  in.  Al- 
ways feed  regularly.  A  small  amount  every  day  is  best.  Feeding  is 
never  necessary  when  the  bees  are  gathering  nectar. 

Bees  prefer  to  carry  on  their  colony  life  in  the  dark.  Cover  the 
glass  entrance  with  a  thin  board  or  cardboard.  Pieces  of  the  same 
material  should  be  cut  for  the  observation  frame.  They  can  be  slipped 
up  under  the  cover  behind  the  cross  straps.  These  will  keep  the  hive 
dark  and  are  easily  removed. 

When  one  has  become  proficient  in  the  handling  of  the  colony  one 
may  attempt  queen  rearing  or  use  the  observation  portion  for  storage 
of  honey  or  give  the  bees  a  starter  and  study  comb  production.  Al- 
ways keep  the  queen  in  the  body  of  the  hive  when  storing  honey  or 
making  comb  in  the  upper  portion. 


13 


BIBLIOGRAPHY. 

Suitable  publications  of  the  United  States  Department  of  Agriculture  on  Bee- 
keeping. 

Farmers'  Bulletin  No.  59,  "Bee  Keeping,"  by  Frank  Benton,  1905,  48  pp., 

19  figs.     (Superceded  by  Farmers'  Bull.  No.  397.)     Free. 
Farmers'  Bulletin  No.  397,  "Bees,"  by  E.  F.  Phillips,  Ph.D.,  1910,  44  pp., 

21  figs.     A  general  account  of  the  handling  of  bees.     Free. 
Circular  No.  97,  "The  Brood  Diseases  of  Bees,"  by  E.  F.  Phillips,  Ph.D., 

1906,  5  pp.     Free. 
Bulletin  No.  55,  ' '  The  Bearing  of  Queen  Bees,  by  E.  F.  Phillips,  Ph.D.,  1905, 

32  pp.,  17  figs.    Price  5  cents. 
Technical  Series  No.  18,  "The  Anatomy  of  the  Honey  Bee,"  by  R.  E.  Snod- 

grass,  1910,  162  pp.,  57  figs.     Price  20  cents. 
For  free  publications  address  the  Secretary  of  Agriculture.    The  publications 
with  price  can  be  obtained  from  the  Superintendent  of  Documents,  Government 
Printing  Office,  Washington,  D.  C. 

Suitable  Standard  Works. 

Cheshire,  Frank  R.,  1886,  "Bees  and  Bee  Keeping,"  2  vols.     Illustrated. 

Comstock,  Mrs.  A.  B.,  1905,  "How  to  Keep  Bees,"  a  handbook  for  begin- 
ners, pp.  222.     Illustrated. 

Cowan,  T.  W.,  1908,  "Wax  Craft,"  pp.  172.     Illustrated. 

Doolittle,  G.,  1901,  "Scientific  Queen  Rearing,"  pp.  126.     Illustrated. 

Hutchinson,  W.  Z.,  1905,  ' '  Advanced  Bee  Culture, ' '  330  pp.     Illustrated. 

Langstroth,  L.  L.,  1904,  Rev.,  "Langstroth  on  the  Hive  and  Honey  Bee," 
pp.  521.    Illustrated. 

Root,  A.  I.  and  E.  R,,  1908,  "The  A  B  C  and  X  Y  Z  of  Bee  Culture,"  pp. 
536.    Illustrated. 

Lyon,  D.  Everett,  Ph.D.,  1910,  "How  to  Keep  Bees  for  Profit,"  pp.  329. 
Illustrated. 

Bee  Magazines. 

A.  I.  Root  Co.,  Medina,  Ohio,  "Gleanings  in  Bee  Culture,"  pp.  72.  Semi- 
monthly.    Illustrated. 

Hutchinson,  W.  Z.,  Flint,  Mich.,  "Bee  Keepers'  Review,"  pp.  30.  Monthly. 
Illustrated. 

Popular  Worlcs. 

Maeterlink,    Maurice,    1901,    "The  Life   of   the   Bee,"    translated   by   Alfred 

Sutro,  pp.  348. 
Edwards,  Tickner,  1907,  "Bee  Master  of  Warrilow, "  pp.  64,  Illustrated,  11. 

1907,  "Lore  of  the  Honey  Bee,"  pp.  281.     Illustrated,  24. 
Morley,  Margaret,  1901,  "The  Bee  People,"  pp.  77.     Illustrated. 


